The Fifth Announcement

The room was suffused with a tense silence. Its five occupants were dispersed evenly, one standing rigidly upright, one sprawled across a couch, one leaning against a wall, two seated in chairs. Even in the seemingly laconic members of the group, anxiety was evident in their expressions, tension in their posture. None of them were much inclined to break the quiet, suffocatingly oppressive as it was. When Jim Greynolds called you for a meeting in this organisation, it was rarely a laughing matter.

Well, maybe for Greynolds.

Matt Richards was one of the two that was just sitting down. His knuckles were white from clenched fists, his face drained of colour. Compared to how he was usually, the effects of the wait were written all over his face. He'd just come off his shift of guarding the prisoner (mouthy old bastard just wouldn't shut the hell up, always trying to be philosophical or some shit), when a hand had clapped him on the shoulder. Startled, Richards had turned... and seen the grinning face of Jim Greynolds. That was a smile that he never again wanted to see at such close proximity.

"Got a job for you Matthias. Go to the lounge as soon as you can. Bring your gear. And twinkies."

Not even wanting to correct the mistake, Richards had sprinted off to collect his equpiment.

Richards looked around, took in his companions. Shamino, Domino, Baines. Troopers, more or less, grunts the same as him. Part of the muscle of the AT, though the former two a lot more experienced. The fourth... she was the odd one out in this bunch. Cecily Lacoste, a technician for the most part. No Lourvey, but jeez, Richards didn't think anyone else could be anything close to that guy. Briefly, Richards wondered once again where the hell Danya had scrounged up that little ... crackpot? Genius? Maybe a bit of both. Still, Cecily didn't fit in with the rest of the team... which meant this was probably something big.

Easy stuff, you only needed muscle, bruisers. A few guns to sort out the problem. If you needed a specialist along to join the party, well... Richards wasn't the smartest man in the world, but even he knew that a technical fault in SOTF was a big. Damn. Deal.

The door burst open, the quintet started in unison, even the normally unflappable Shamino. In sauntered Jim Greynolds, an assault rifle slung on his back, striking a stark contrast indeed to the faded grey hoodie he was wearing. If one looked closely, the outline of something bulky beneath the baggy top could be discerned. He might've looked casual, but Greynolds was definitely dressed for a fight.

Greynolds swept the room with a glance. "I see you're all here. Well... the boss man has us on a tight schedule, so I'll try and keep things brief. The reason I've gathered you here is not in fact because I want to see how well you model that body armour, or how mean you can look with a gun. We've got a job to do. I'm sure you all know about the little bitch that ruined her collar. If you forgot, then, well, Achyls is crying somewhere in heaven right now."

Jim smiled that unnerving little smirk of his. "Anyway, Lourvey managed to neutralise the loophole, but we can't get to the chick, because hers is already toast. Frankly I'm surprised she hasn't dropped dead of blood loss or infection yet, but she seems to have a charmed life. ...And she's insisting on making ours difficult. She's wrecked a hell of a lot of our cameras, and it doesn't look like she's slowing down at this point. We've already had to lock down one area as a dangerzone because our coverage was getting too spotty, we can't afford to let her dictate our playing field. So here's what we're going to do."

He looked at each of the five in turn, spending a long moment dwelling on each. "We're taking the chopper to the island, then, we're fixing things up as best as we possibly can. It's possible some of the damage will be irreparable, so we may need to bring along spares. To be honest it's unlikely w'ell get total coverage back, but if we can patch up the blind spots a little, then it'll be less of an issue overall. That's objective number one, and it's why we're bringing the lovely Miss Lacoste along, before any of you complain. Well, unless any of the rest of you feel like trying to wire a camera and then explain to Danya why we're behind schedule. ...No? Didn't think so."

Greynolds looked down at his feet, then back up again, now holding up two fingers. "Objective two is simple enough. We find this jumped up kid and we show her why you don't fuck with the game, and you don't fuck with Danya. We have more than enough firepower to do the job, and if anyone tries to cross us... well, they get exactly one warning. We're not going in there to play motivators, but we're not pussy-footing around either. They screw around and they're dead, simple as that. Nobody is catching a bullet just because we don't want to 'interfere'."

SERVICE HISTORY: Member of Arthro Taskforce as of Test Run 8. Took part in that exercise and accounted for two kills. Primarily served in a support/preparation capacity during prior versions, due to potential emotional instability. Took an active role in island clearing for V4.ANALYSIS: Stockton is a fairly reliable and effective member of the AT. She is generally fairly level-headed, though has shown a tendency towards emotional instability in times of stress. Since all of her outbursts have been focused outwards, this is not a major problem, though she should probably not operate independently. A good underling, but should not hold positions of independent authority.

APPEARANCE: A short (5'2"), somewhat stocky (135lbs) woman, Stockton is not by any means attractive in the conventional (or even the exotic) sense. She is plain, with a broad face and slightly crooked nose. She wears her hair at shoulder length, rolling it into a bun when on the job to avoid providing anything for attackers to grab.PERSONALITY: Stockton is a vindictive woman, disgusted with humanity as whole, her family in specific, and herself to at least some degree. She is reliable as long as she has a mission to accomplish, but can become sullen and uncooperative if given too much free time. She shows a decent sense of camaraderie with her fellows in AT. Despite her fairly early induction into the organization, she keeps a low profile, and due to her lack of skill on the leadership front and overall lack of initiative, has never climbed the ranks. This does not seem to bother her in the slightest; in fact, she seems to prefer the relative anonymity of a lowly-placed jack of all trades.

SERVICE HISTORY: Member of Arthro Taskforce as of SotF V2, albeit on reserve until V4 preparations. Took an active role in island clearing for V4. Took an active role in the acquisition of students for V4.ANALYSIS: Warhen is a reliable member with skills primarily in the area of technology and acting. Generally respected by other members of the AT. Prone to practical jokes and humor when off duty, but never in a disruptive manner. Warhen is not an optimal leader, but can hold up passably if required.

APPEARANCE: A man of average height (511) and fairly standard build (175 lbs), Warhen would be unnoticeable except for one thing: his sense of fashion when it comes to grooming. With his head shaved entirely bald, and a long black mustache, he has a fairly intimidating appearance, belied slightly by the perpetual sunburn on his head. He walks with good military posture, even during his free time, though he knows how to appear inconspicuous if he has to for an assignment. Warhens facial features are fairly smooth, though his nose is notably large. PERSONALITY: Warhen is a strange man. Off duty, he is warm, positive, and aggressively friendly, spending time getting to know everyone on AT he can. He enjoys playing jokes, which, though largely harmless, can at times range into the realm of the mean-spirited. On duty, though, he is completely different, focusing with a single-minded attentiveness on the completion of his assigned goals. This is clearly a personal choice; he has proved an able infiltrator and actor where required, as during the kidnapping of the Bayview senior class, where he took the place of a bus driver. His real talents, though, lie in the field of applied technology; hes no Lourvey, but hes one of the go-to guys for setting up jammers and other electronic trickery. In combat, hes no better than anyone of similar training and background, though his appearance can lead others to overestimate his skills, a fact he is used to exploiting.

SERVICE HISTORY: Member of Arthro Taskforce as of SotF V2, albeit on reserve until V4 preparations. See also ESCAPE INCIDENT. Taking an active role in island clearing for V4. Efficient if unremarkable.ANALYSIS: Richards, though prone to grumbling, is an effective member of the AT. Complaining should not be taken seriously, as he will still fulfil his orders to the best of his ability. Works well under instruction but struggles without guidance, though he can be counted on to at least perform adequately in charge. Useful but not to be overestimated, best used as a grunt.

APPEARANCE: Richards stands at a rangy 6'4", 190 lbs. Short haired and clean shaven, the most remarkable thing about Richards' appearance is a scar running across the bridge of his nose, extending underneath each eye. Otherwise, Richards looks decidedly clean cut.PERSONALITY: Richards is a cynical, pessimistic individual, who has a tendency to complain about anything and everything. Whilst it's arguable if he is truly that dour, Richards remains entirely professional about his duties, following instructions and assigned tasks with 100% dedication, indicative that his grumbling may in fact be something of a front. Known for having a seemingly hostile relationship with fellow AT member Josh Baines, although given the pair partner off so often, it appears they are actually friends.

SERVICE HISTORY: Member of Arthro Taskforce as of SotF V2, albeit on reserve until V4 preparations. See also ESCAPE INCIDENT. Taking an active role in island clearing for V4. Somewhat lazy.ANALYSIS: Baines is an oddity, for a soldier of his calibre, he is very laconic and laid back and has an overall poor attitude. Prone to barbs at his fellows, meaning most either enjoy his wit or are irritated by it. Works fine independantly, far too relaxed for leadership. Effective but not remarkable.

APPEARANCE: Baines is a small (5'8"), lean (142lbs) young man, whose adherence to dress code is minimal at best. His face has a youthfulness which belies his real age, something which constant blond stubble does little to allieviate. His hair reaches his neck and tends to be kept back with a headband. See also AT DISCIPLINARY CONCERNS.PERSONALITY: As previously noted, Baines can be a troublemaker and bad influence and has a number of minor infractions on his service record. Known to be somewhat provocative whilst being very laid back and dry, rarely rising to the bait of others. Oddly enough best paired with Matt Richards, as their apparent hostilities towards one another can more or less neutralise their negative influence. Note that they appear to be friends.

SERVICE HISTORY: Member of Arthro Taskforce as of Test Run 8. Took part in that exercise and returned several successful kills. Consistent service since then at HQ, has not been involved in many field operations. Ambitious.ANALYSIS: Lacoste is a useful asset, if only due to the funding she helps supply through her connections. Adequate technician at HQ, and showed herself to be an effective if brutal fighter during the 8th test run. Also effective at gathering intelligence and smoking out moles.

APPEARANCE: Cecily is not a large woman, standing at only 5'2" and weighing 113 lbs. She has some definite sex appeal, and it would not be a stretch to describe her as beautiful, although Cecily wears scowls far more often than smiles, which has traced a couple of lines into her face. Her hair is very long indeed, and yet there never seems to be a hair out of place.PERSONALITY: Lacoste is a very ambitious individual, with a ruthless attitude towards her position in our organisation. Commendably dedicated to her work, although this is no doubt due to her desires to rise up the ranks. Intelligent and shrewd, caution is advised in how much Cecily should be allowed to know.

SERVICE HISTORY: If you're important enough to be reading this, then you're certainly important enough to already know.ANALYSIS: Epic.

APPEARANCE: Shorter than average (5'9"), Greynolds doesn't look like much (how little they know!), and certainly wouldn't appear to be a soldier at first glance. His slim figure hides deceptive strength, however, and Greynolds is built more like a runner than anything else. Jim's attire is far, far more casual than the vast majority of his counterparts, as he inclines towards jeans and hoodies; with his floppy brown hair and wire framed glasses, Greynolds looks more like a college student than anything else.PERSONALITY: I'm hurt by the implication that I could be summarised such in a few short sentences.Dammit Greynolds! Stop hacking into our database! Its integrity is of great importance!

"Once again, good morning, kids!" Danya spoke jovially, clearly. "I feel like we're really getting to know each other now, in a way. After all, all of you have made it five days. That's better than over a hundred of your peers. That's right, we passed the hundred death mark yesterday, so congratulations indeed on remaining alive. You've only got, well, a hundred and sixtyish people left to outlive now.

"Without further ado, allow me to begin the accounting. First, Nick Reid expanded upon his repertoire of blunt impact death-dealing techniques by killing William Sears with the wrong end of a sword. Next up, Darren Locke was evicted from his hiding spot via dynamite, courtesy of Staffan Kronwall. That particular story doesn't end there though. Staffan managed to shoot down Evelyn Reed and in a bout of sibling rivalry, his brother Nik Kronwall, but then Staffan himself wound up dead too, at the hands of Fiona Sparki. We can officially call that one a bloodbath, kids!

"Marybeth Witherspoon met her end in a particularly... special display of teamwork from Maxwell Lombardi and Clio Gabriella. That'll be one for the reels, if it's not already all over the internet.

"Ricky Fortino managed to kill Isaiah Garvey in a fairly slow manner, via head trauma. Then James Robertson left us with some truly touching and tragic last words, after Reiko Ishida filled his stomach full of lead. Ms. Ishida's schedule seems to be slipping, as that was her only kill today.

"Roman Jackson was stifled in his sleep by Acacia Salinger, Othello style. Then Sofia Martelli spent a lot of time building up to shooting John Smith, who managed to incorporate a cliff dive into his routine. The judges are in: 7.8. Pretty good, Mr. Smith, but the flailing needs some work.

"Marco Stonecastle proved that's it's a terrible idea to rush a known killer with a heavy gun by going after Maxwell Lombardi. Another one bites the dust, folks. Lombardi, seemingly not content, then went off and sprayed Duncan McMahon full of bullets.

"After this, Richard Han managed to topple off a cliff. That'd be another point for the phsyics, kids. Watch your step; you never know what you might land on.

"Hayley Kelly waltzed out of nowhere and blew Jennifer Romita away before she could blink, for our hundredth death of the season. Then Ilario Fiametta shot Timothy Skula, who hit his head on a rock. Those falls can be pretty nasty. You'd be amazed how many people get killed falling on concrete every year. Anyways, after that, Michelle O'Cain took a few bullets to the back from Martin Lovett. Just goes to show, you should pay attention to the people you're killing, not the ones falling screaming from the sky. Live and learn, or, well, don't.

"Someone finally managed to extract a little measure of revenge out of one of our big killers. Clio Gabriella is no more, shot by Tabitha Gweneth.

"We next had a pair of double kills, with Liam Brooks accounting for Raine Schwarz and Ridley Landon. Aren't couple who do everything together just the sweetest? Then Raidon Naoko killed Victoria Logan and Jacob Charles. Avoid Mr. Raidon if you're hoping for an open-casket funeral, folks.

"Hayley Kelly continued her trend of wandering the open areas before randomly blowing someone away when she caught up to Jason Clarke.

"Robert Jenkins chased down Lilian Hayes, showing that not everyone who only killed on the first day has given up completely. Finally, Ben Powell made the phenomenal mistake of painting Courtney Bradley, who in turn painted the ground with Powell's blood.

"We were awfully impressed by the work of Ms. Gweneth. There's a new toy waiting for you in the Town Center.

"Also, stay out of the Inland Woods (Still. You shouldn't be there right now anyways), the Ranger Station, and the Residential Area, including the Town Center. Ms. Gweneth is exempt from those last two for the time it takes to collect her prize.

"Talk to you tomorrowwell, some of you, at least."

~*~

First off, congratulations to Geno, who has won BD for the death of Richard Han and therefore gets a roll null. Congrats also to Greg for winning BK for Tabi's kill of Clio.

Since's it's just about the third now, you have until the 6th at midday, GMT to play any relevant cards you wish to take care of, and until the 13th to get the deaths wrapped up, I'd advise to start planning now.

You also of course have three days to clear any DZs you may be in.

Note: Unless it is SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED or you are in a thread with somebody who got rolled then do NOT PM people asking for death rights! This is rude and discourteous and will only annoy people in the long run. Thank you.

v4
Brendan Wallace is a coward.
Clio Gabriella wanted to go home.
Paige Strand needed to run.
Jacob Charles had to put back his pieces.
Aston Bennett was better than you.
Ma'afu Tuigamala made the ultimate mistake.

Ezra Landau - "Pretty sure the point of life is to indulge and be pretty." - PhilosophyHayden Lockwood - "Come to the march this Saturday and I'll show you a good time." - PrideAllegra Varley - "Bet you I can jump from here to that boat." - RiskTruann Coleman - "Please stop saying that." - RageAnya Van Doren - "Dunno why I did it. Dunno why it's your business." - Duplicity

If anyone has a hero lying around, please don't use it on me. Honestly, if you want to use it on Colin, use it for poor Inky instead. He's been being rolled a lot lately, and I'd rather see him stay in the game longer.

...Or use it on anyone who's about to be eliminated, for that matter.

I will begin moving Colin towards his doom on the fifth or sixth. Death rights have been claimed for Colin since Pre-Game. Please do not PM me for them.

A clarification, because it's relevant to at least one handler on the list: People who are Away (especially for, say, a month or so) can swap upon their return, if they have a card and so desire. So, yeah, just making sure that's known.

I like how I am more colloquially known by my chat handle than my actual Username....

Anyway, if somebody wants to hero Kyle, I would be forever grateful, although I do not have a hero card to offer in return at this time. After the three day period is up, PM me for death rights, as I have a mildly particular plan in mind.

I like how I am more colloquially known by my chat handle than my actual Username....

Anyway, if somebody wants to hero Kyle, I would be forever grateful, although I do not have a hero card to offer in return at this time. After the three day period is up, PM me for death rights, as I have a mildly particular plan in mind.